Tuesday, December 4, 2012

This world can be broadly divided into 2 categories. The first category can be called as "The Wishers" and the second category can be called as "The Doers".

While most of the population would want to believe that they fall in the "Doer" category, as ironic as it may sound, they wish to do, but hardly they ever 'do" what they wish.

The biggest difference between those who are labeled as "Go-getters" and those christened as "Day-Dreamers" is their level of confidence and belief in their own capabilities.

Those who achieve have 3 qualities that make them standout and get whatever they wish for.

Quality #1 - Self belief

Throughout history, the most successful men and women have been those who believed that they can achieve whatever they want no matter how difficult their past or their current circumstances were. Be it the small-built Mahatma Gandhi who believed that he can with the power of his simplicity dethrone the tyrant British rule from India without using a single weapon or be it a small time television actor Shahrukh Khan, who never had the looks or personality of a star but is today called the King of Bollywood and has been ruling the Hindi film industry for more than 2 decades.

These extraordinary men and women believed in their ability to face all kinds of opposition, be it society, conditions or their own weaknesses. They believed they can change their destiny and they worked hard in spite of the oppression and hurdles that came their way. Self belief is about knowing in your heart, that you can overcome a difficult situation and achieve something, no matter how impossible and foolish that goal may seem to be. These people do not believe when people around them tease and mock their determination. They don't allow failure to de-motivate them; they keep trying again and again until they get what they want. That's self belief.

Quality #2 - Modesty

List out the 5 biggest achievers in any field of your choice, now start jotting down their personality traits that you like the most and I am sure modesty or humility would be one of the common traits that would be found in all those who succeed. Just look around you, people who are millionaires and are powerful enough to change the destiny of millions are the most humble people you will ever come across. Be it the mighty US president Barack Obama or the god of acting Amitabh Bachchan or the king of pop Michael Jackson. There is an earthy quality about them; it's their innocence and modesty that makes them so attractive in spite of their historic and gigantic achievements. There is a sense of respect for others in their speech and body language, they never talk ill about others and most important of all, they never brag about their achievements. Have you ever heard or seen the MASTER BLASTER Cricketing Legend Sachin Tendulkar brag about his world records.

Whereas we come across "Wannabe's" all around us all the time, who probably have achieved nothing miraculous but would never lose an opportunity to proclaim themselves as God. Remember, to succeed, you must never forget where you come from or where you might finally end up. Respect others, raise the bar of your achievements constantly and never belittle those around you and success will kiss your forehead every single day.

Quality #3 - Concrete actions

One cannot achieve anything without taking actions towards the goal. Maradona or Pele would have never been the football icons, if they had waited at one place for someone to hit the goals for them, Michael Jordan would have never been the basketball star he is, if he had complained about how high the basket was and man would have never set foot on the moon by simply admiring the moon through the telescopes.

The doers believe that the easiest way to reach a destination is to take a step towards it instead of plain day-dreaming. They act on their dreams; they design a plan to reach the goal. They chart out milestones that would tell them if they are on the right course and they ensure they reach the milestones by taking prudent and bold actions no matter how difficult they may be. They are the ones who believe that actions speak louder than words. Period.

To achieve, you must do, to achieve you must fight, to achieve you must work and hard while you are at it. There is no other route to success and yes, stay away from shortcuts as there are none.

This article is written by Mohnish Nair. Mohnish is a business coach specialized in small and medium size enterprise coaching in India. A young, dynamic motivational speaker, creative designer and a strategic coach, Mohnish has helped hundreds of business owners transform their world creatively. That's Mohnish's motto in life, to transform the world creatively. Contact Mohnish by visiting his blogsite - http://www.mapledreamsindia.com or write to him at mapledreams22@yahoo.com

Friday, November 2, 2012

How to Grow Your Business to the Next Level?

As a Business Coach, I have been helping entrepreneurs shape their ideas into winning business models. The most common and the most difficult challenge that they throw at me is their inability to grow their organization beyond a certain level.

Well here are some quick pointers you might want to focus on -

1. Trust others:

As entrepreneurs start out on their own, in the initial phase, all activities by force have to be done by them. However, this habit of playing superman clings on to their personality even after they have hired a couple of employees. Entrepreneurs find it difficult to believe that someone else can do their job better than them. They believe they are the best and the only ones who can possibly do any task in the organization with super expert precision. Well, this is a myth!

You cannot be good at everything and if you believe so, you are heading towards a very dark future my friend. Hire intelligently and trust others to execute the responsibilities assigned to them all on their own. You can surely act as their coach but don't you sit in the office working late nights while your employees merely add up to the office décor.

2. Work on your niche:

In today's hyper competitive market, where everybody looks the same and offers the same features, where your price overtakes the value you offer, it is very important to differentiate yourself from others. You must consistently work on finding out how you can stand out from the competition as far as your product positioning, your target audience and your product specialization is concerned. If you offer a commodity, you will have to fight the price war. However, if you work hard on creating something that's unique and satisfies an unresolved or unaddressed need of your target group then you have struck gold! Remember to always sell something that no one else can offer or add up special services to a competitive product so that people choose to buy from you for the unique experience that your service offers.

3. Focus on revenue generation:

Entrepreneurs must get rid of all activities that eat up their time but do not offer revenue gain in return. They must delegate all non-revenue generating activities to their team members. They must personally focus their time, energy and resources into doing only those activities that directly result into commercial gain.

Hire people to do the mundane documentation, the banking routines and the logistical complexities. You must solely focus on networking with people, organizations and customers who have the potential to take your business to the next level.

4. Explore:

Entrepreneurs must continuously tread uncharted territory. They must constantly be on the look out for the next big thing. They must observe and learn market and global trends and happenings. They must educate and train themselves on the skills required to be a successful entrepreneur. They must read about and network with successful businessmen. They must take risks and venture out and do things that scare and disturb their comfort zones. Breaking through paradigms is the only way you can successfully take your business to the next level. So what are you waiting for? Get started on your next big initiative!!!

This article is written by Mohnish Nair. Mohnish is a business coach specialized in small and medium size enterprise coaching in India. A young, dynamic motivational speaker, creative designer and a strategic coach, Mohnish has helped hundreds of business owners transform their world creatively. That's Mohnish's motto in life, to transform the world creatively. Contact Mohnish by visiting his blogsite - http://www.mapledreamsindia.com or write to him at mapledreams22@yahoo.com

If you are an entrepreneur, I am sure you go through
mood swings. And the mood swings majority of the times are directly related to
your sales performance and bank balance. I certainly can vouch for it, as I am
an entrepreneur too.

So how do you bounce back when the chips are
down and you really feel sick and tired about yourself and your business?

Well here are 3 ways straight from the horse’s
mouth.

1.Remind yourself :

Yes, remind yourself why you started this business
in the first place. You started because you wanted to do something on your own.
So that you don’t have to lick some inhuman boss’s feet for an extra day off
from work. Because you had an idea which you felt can change the world, well at
least your world. You started because you wanted to make money, a lot of money
and that you wanted to create an identity for yourself.

Have all these reasons faded away, hope not.
Its time to remind yourself of all the benefits of running your own show and
start from the scratch all over again. Come on! Get up! Think about the goodies
that are about to come your way if you just do the right things.

2.Write your problem :

I do this all the time. Whenever stuck in a
situation I write down about my problem. This helps in getting a 360 degree
perspective of our problem and often we find solutions as we write. A general
format could be by asking your self “What am I upset about?” “How did I get
into it?” “What could be a better way to handle this issue?” “What is the first
thing I need to do now?” “Whose help can I take?”

When you write, your mind, body and your soul
work in unison. And this helps you vent out your frustration, realign your
thoughts and actions and most importantly get on top of the situation rather
than worrying about it.

3.Take action :

Most of the times we get into a tough
situation just because we did not do what we ought to do. Think of all the
things that you didn’t do or have been procrastinating that got you into a
trouble. Write your action list. Write down what will help you get closer to
the solution and START doing it. Simple.

Inaction is the cause of misery. Take the
right steps NOW and you will see how you can transform your world creatively
and enjoy this beautiful journey called life!

This article is written by Mohnish Nair.
Mohnish is a business coach specialized in small and medium size enterprise
coaching in India.
A young, dynamic motivational speaker, creative designer and a strategic coach,
Mohnish has helped hundreds of business owners transform their world
creatively. That’s Mohnish’s motto in life, to transform the world creatively.
Contact Mohnish by visiting his blogsite – www.mapledreamsindia.com or write
to him at mapledreams22@yahoo.com

Have you noticed how some entrepreneurs are
consistently and continuously growing while many struggle to make ends meet?

What separates the men from the boys? Why is
it that some businessmen even in times of recession are successful in achieving
their goals and their dreams?

I feel the following 5 qualities make the real
difference. Let’s have a look at them.

1.Mind Control:

Yes, it all starts with the mind, doesn’t it? Our
mind is the source of all the marvels that exist in the world. The
manifestation of dreams into reality occurs when we put our mind into our
desires. Those who learn to meditate and gain control over the mind are able to
accomplish anything the way they want. They are not deterred by the obstacles
that come their way. They are not distracted by the negativity that flows
around them. They don’t give up when faced with failure or loss. Successful
people simply believe. They believe in themselves, believe in their dreams and
they never stop trying. That’s the major reason why some succeed. So, learn to
gain control over your mind to think only those thoughts and do only those
things that are in favor of your goal accomplishment.

2. Focus
on Strengths

Entrepreneurs who lead always follow their
strengths and work on making them even better. While many talk about working on
your weaknesses, it is a longer route to identify your weaknesses and develop
them. And even if you do succeed in working on your weaknesses, you would only
reach competence levels. Instead, why not focus on excellence by working on
your strengths. You could probably hire someone who is good at what you are
weak at. This way you do what you are good at and enjoy while you are working
on it. Successful entrepreneurs build their businesses around their strengths.

3. Clear
cut goals

Progressive Entrepreneurs know what they want.
They know exactly when they want it and they are constantly working on how to
get what they desire. No amount of “Lucrative business offers” or “Easy money”
Opportunities are successful in distracting them from their path to success.
Intelligent entrepreneurs know one thing for sure that EVERY BUSINESS IS A
GROWTH BUSINESS. They know if they toil hard and stick to their business idea,
they will surely hit the jackpot one day. They have clear cut written goals and
vision boards that act as their guiding light providing the necessary
direction, motivation and confidence time and again.

4. Relentless
Pursuit

Successful Entrepreneurs are obsessed about
their goals. They don’t care about the obstacles that come their way. The
thought of achieving the goal and reaching the destination is enough for them
to keep the fight on. Bankruptcy, debt, market downfall, humiliation, personal
loss, health problems nothing comes their way. They know only one thing and
that is to relentlessly pursue their goals until they achieve it. Relentless
pursuit combined with the everyday discipline of a marine commando is a lethal
combination that never fails to take you where you want to go.

5. Continuous learning

Those who find themselves in trouble in
business or life in general are those who do not know how to handle a difficult
situation. They rely on their knowledge and “vast” Experience to tackle their
problems but often find it difficult to comprehend what’s happening in their
lives. This happens because they do not feed their minds with new knowledge,
they do not try and learn new concepts and mostly they do not expose themselves
to unknown territories of learning. Successful entrepreneurs learn new ways of
handling issues. They follow role models. They visit exhibitions, read books
and attend training programs. They appoint a business coach to guide them and
bring accountability into their lives. They are constantly in search of the
next big idea. They are great observers and they find ways to implement new
ideas into their lives. This continuous process of learning, unlearning &
relearning keeps them fresh and ready to take on the world.

So next time you feel stuck in business or
life in general, do check if you are focusing on all the above mentioned
qualities in yourself.

This article is written by Mohnish Nair.
Mohnish is a business coach specialized in small and medium size enterprise
coaching in India.
A young, dynamic motivational speaker, creative designer and a strategic coach,
Mohnish has helped hundreds of business owners transform their world
creatively. That’s Mohnish’s motto in life, to transform the world creatively.
Contact Mohnish by visiting his blogsite – www.mapledreamsindia.com or write
to him at mapledreams22@yahoo.com

Monday, October 1, 2012

Realize the dreams you have for your business by developing the
strategic plan to make it happen! Every organization should have a strategic
vision of their future with a path to successfully realize their vision and any
organization can develop a strategic plan. The most successful companies
consider strategic planning vital to success, so add this arrow to your quiver.

Successful companies use strategic planning to gain the
competitive edge by managing toward a grand vision. By operating under a
mission statement, the organization aligns decisions with goals and focuses
effort only on the things that equal success. An effective strategic planning
process reveals the answers to three questions:

1) What are we doing today?

2) What do we want to do in the future?

3) What do we need to do today in order to achieve our vision of
the future?

The process is simple and extremely powerful at empowering your
organization to see clarity in their future and realize their daily actions
achieve future success. Understanding the answers to the three questions
enables your team to create action. This means today, tomorrow, this week, this
month, this quarter; every moment is a step toward success because each
accomplishment supports the grand strategy to achieve the future.

Business leaders use strategy to make operational decisions and
guide tactical managers to accomplish the objectives of the company. A
strategic plan begins with a mission statement that describes the overall
purpose of the firm. Planners consider internal factors, such as resources and
capabilities, and external factors, such as culture and government regulations,
to establish long-term and short-term objectives. The strategy provides the
framework for the functional departments to support the operating units to
achieve the strategic vision of the company.

Managers need to ensure all aspects of the sales, marketing, and
operational aspects of the business are integrated and synchronized with an
overall business plan that explains the manner in which a product line or
service will accomplish the company's goals. Because the leaders have made the
decisions and provided the direction through analysis and long-term strategic
planning, a company can maneuver the many obstacles involved in today's rapidly
changing business environment.

Strategic planning provides the following:

Framework For Decisions -Strategic
managementinvolves
the planning, directing, organizing, and controlling of a company's
strategy-related decisions and actions.

Strategic Vision equals Strategic Action - A strategy is a
company's game plan. By strategy, managers mean their large-scale,
future-oriented plans for interacting with the competitive environment to
achieve company objectives.

Strategic Awareness - A strategy reflects a company's awareness
of how, when, and where it should compete; against whom it should compete; and
for what purposes it should compete.

Organizational Focus - Strategy development enables success
because all-levels understand the objectives, so they can provide input and
assist in execution.

Organizational Effort - Strategic options are more comprehensive
because of the levels of participants. Employee involvement creates
"buy-in" and increases motivation to accomplish objectives

Once your company incorporates strategic planning sessions as
part of quarterly and annual objectives, your company will have the tools
required to create a strategic plan that will achieve results.

By maximizing efficiency through consistent strategic
innovation, a business can achieve consistent results. Randall Mauldin,
President, Jack Quinn Solutions, LLC, is known for providing quality solutions
for business growth by identifying options with recommendations and
implementation strategies. For more information, visithttp://www.jackquinnsolutions.com

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Your mindset is a very big determining factor in what we make
out of our lives. It influences our decision making, and more importantly on
how we react to certain things and how we attain our goals and dreams. People
have different mindsets and if you want to become successful in your life, you
will need to develop a positive mindset, so that you will be able to reach your
dreams.

In whatever you do, whether you are an employee, a business
entrepreneur, or an online marketer, you will need to have the proper mindset
to attain success. In any kind of field, you will need to have enough faith in
yourself. You need to trust yourself that your skills and talents are more than
enough to help you attain whatever it is you are trying to reach. This is the
very essence of positive thinking; you need to believe that the thing that you
are longing for will happen. With this, it will mean that every inch of your
body will be aimed to take the necessary actions to make it happen.

One of the hurdles that you need to conquer in attaining success
in your life is simply the opposite of positing thinking. Having a negative
mindset will discourage your body systems in taking the necessary steps to achieve
your goals. The reason behind this is that, negative thinking will make you
have a lot of hesitations, and the second you give in to that, you will be
discouraged in taking actions to achieve your goals, since you may already be
thinking that it is not achievable.

Negative mindset would also be the factor behind losing that
important motivation that you need to have. Motivation is very important for us
to be consistent in whatever we do. Without the proper level of motivation, you
will not be able to follow through the steps that you have planned to take in
achieving your goals. Aside from that, you may become too relax, and will have
the tendency to put off the things you can do today for tomorrow. With this
kind of attitude, if you are involved in a business industry, then your
competitors would be glad to see you relaxing, since it will give them the
chance to get ahead of you.

To turn away from negative thinking, you need to have faith.
Faith coupled with the right actions will gear you towards your success. With a
positive mindset, you will soon be able to come up with a plan to achieve your
goals. This plan would contain the steps that you need to take in achieving it.
With that, it is only a matter of time for your dreams to manifest.

One of the more important things that needs to be considered
when you own a business is how much you are spending on that business every
year. Of course, there are going to be some things that need to be purchased,
regardless of what you are doing for work. These would include supplies and
perhaps operating expenses, such as payroll. There are also many things that
you can do to help save your business some money. Here are a few things that
you can do to help cut some corners and save money.

One of the ways that many businesses save money is on their
monthly expenses, such as electricity and rent. Simply turning the power off
when you leave the office at night by shutting off the computers will make a
difference in how much electricity you are consuming. During the day, you can
also make a difference in what you are spending but changing the temperature by
a few degrees. Although you would not want to sacrifice comfort to save a few
dollars, making those minor changes can make a difference.

How much money are you spending for rent every month? This tends
to be on of the larger operating expenses for many businesses. If you find that
this expense is holding your business back from increased profits, you have a
few options. Frrst of all, you can renegotiate your lease, as most landlords
will be willing to have you pay less rather than having the area sit empty. You
can also have some of your employees work remotely from home so that you can
move into a smaller place. It may take some work on your part at first, but
this can really make a difference in your overall expenses.

How much money do you spend on vehicles for company use? Some
businesses spend a large portion of their budget on card, trucks and vans. If
that is the case with your company, why not consider purchasing used vehicles
instead of purchasing them new? Buying used step vans for sale or pickup trucks
for sale that are pre-owned will save you money. Make sure that you are
purchasing them from a company that you can trust, and try to buy trucks or
vans that are higher-end. When you do so, you will save money right away on the
purchase price without having to worry about them breaking down regularly.

One more thing that you should consider is offering some type of
incentive to your employees to operate at a higher level. Most employees tend
to ignore this possibility because they feel that it will end up costing them
money in the long run. Just make sure that you consider how much you're giving
them as an incentive and make sure that it is lower than the amount that you
will be profiting. It is a great way for you to boost the productivity of those
that work for your company while at the same time, keeping up morale and
dropping expenses.

The author has been running his own business for many years and
have found many ways to cut cost and save money. He suggest to business owners
to invest in used delivery vehicles that can be found atused
step vanorpickup
trucks for saleauctions.
This is just one option available for business owners to save money.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Running a small business requires having the right knowledge and
applying self discipline on a daily basis. For this reason I have prepared what
I call the "12 Step Business Growth Plan." Like the Alcoholics
Anonymous 12 step plan, it is the core of what we need to do to keep us focused
on proven management practices. I recommend that my students, listeners and
clients print them and post them in their work area to review daily while
planning for the next days' activities.

1. Set Specific Goals

Goals must be specific. Saying that you're going to get more
customers is not good enough. How many? By when? What type of customers? These
are the kind of questions you need to be asking yourself. Put your goals in
writing. More than 90% of those people that write down specific, realistic,
deadline oriented goals actually achieve their goals! Finally, visualize
yourself in the future. Most people think in pictures. As you begin to right
down your vision place yourself in the future and make it seem real. You will
be amazed at the results.

2. Seek Out Change

Let's face it change is the only constant. The longer you
"do what you've always done," the harder it will be to do something
different. It is ideas that bring change about in our world. Nearly every great
invention, system or model was born from the idea of a lone entrepreneur.
Psychologists are now saying that creativity is a "learned trait."
Experiment with creative ways of doing things. Don't just settle for the
"easy way." Do this daily and watch your creativity grow and your
business soar!

3. Focus on Branding

Branding is not merely for the BIG players. Entrepreneurs and
small business owners can also differentiate themselves with this kind of
branding strategy. In fact it is even MORE important for smaller organizations
to set themselves apart, particularly if they are competing with the BIG GUYS!
Remember, your customers' perceptions of WHO you are is all that matters to
them. Often times your reputation is wrapped up in what advertising guru, Bill
Bernbach called the Unique Selling Proposition (USP). What sets you apart from
the crowd? What do you do that no one else does? This is far more important
than the quality or price of your product or service. Everything that we do or
say both internally and externally should revolve around this.

4. Be an Influencer NOT a Salesperson

Our goal is not to SELL our customers but rather to influence
them. When we SELL them, they move away from us because they are fearful of
being coerced into making the wrong decision. Ask more questions. Find out
what's important to them. Find a way to get them to look up to you. We must
earn the right to influence customers by aligning ourselves with them in a way
that sets us apart as a friend, advisor and confidant. Then we will become the
ONLY solution to their needs.

5. Speak in Terms of the Customers Interest

As the great master of human relations, Dale Carnegie said, we
must "speak in terms of the other persons' interest." The reason
people are running away from you is that you are trying to TAKE. Be willing to
give. "What can you give?" you ask? If nothing else, give them an
education. That's right; EDUCATE your prospect and you will create a customer
for life! Ask plenty of questions. Show that you really care. You will learn
more, build stronger relationships and get more business. Oh yeah, you'll have
more fun too.

6. Develop a Practical Sales and Marketing Plan

A sales and marketing plan creates the kind of attention you need
to get in front of the right type of organizations. It is what attracts people
to you! A good sales and marketing plan implemented cost effectively,
efficiently, and consistently, will eliminate the need for "cold
calls!" Your marketing plan should also include a sales plan. There is no
other sure way to gage the financial growth and progress of your business. You
need a realistic map for where the sales will come from, how they'll come, and
from whom.

7. Know Your Customers

Changes in your customers' preferences and your competitors'
products and services can leave you in the dust unless you get to know your
customers well. What is it that they are looking for today? What will they
likely want in the future? What are their buying patterns? How can you be a
resource for them even if you don't have the right products or services for
them now?

8. Manage Your Cash Daily

Only cash flow can keep a company alive. No matter how
impressive your company's profits might be, if you run out of cash, it's over!
Learn the importance of aligning performance measurement goals to gross margin.
Learn about various pricing strategies, contribution margins and how to stay on
top of your cash position every minute of the day if necessary.

9. Be a Leader

Jack Welch, CEO of G.E. loved the small business model so much
his first step in turning around G.E. was to break up the giant into 350
smaller companies. He told Business Week Magazine, "Most small companies
are simple, informal, and grow on good ideas. Think small," he said. Understand
that your role as the leader of your organization is to inspire, simplify
processes, drive the company toward their vision, spread the gospel, admit your
mistakes, and keep things ever moving forward.

10. Get Help

Get an advisory board or a mentor! Sounds crazy for a small operation? It's
not! The board can be family members that you trust, or friends. Ask them to be
your board of directors and review your business plans and results with them.
Having someone to bounce ideas off and get an objective opinion is critical.

11. Communicate Clearly

You might be the key to everything BUT you cannot DO everything
and grow at the same time. Even modest success can overwhelm you unless you
hire the right staff and delegate responsibility. Good communication skills are
the key to winning strong relationships. Learn to listen in an active way. Stop
thinking about what you are going to say next and put the focus back on the
customer.

12. Don't Give Up!

Some of the most successful entrepreneurs failed several times
before doing extremely well. So, if you're failing, fail. And fail fast. And
learn. And try again, with this new wisdom. Do NOT give up. In a recession such
as we are experiencing today, only the persistent will thrive!

This article was provided by Mark Deo. Mark is founder of the
Small Business Advisory Network, a marketing and management consulting firm for
small businesses, and is author of the upcoming book, "The Rules of
Attraction: Fourteen Practical Rules to Help Get the Right Clients, Talent and
Resources to Come to You!" Learn more at:http://www.markdeo.com

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

One of the many issues business owners face is 'bright shiny
object' syndrome, which leads to overwhelm, and then frustration because their
business isn't growing in the way that they hoped it would. A typical scenario
I come across (in fact I've had several conversations with business owners
about this) is that they are juggling getting their newsletter up and running;
posting to their blog; creating products to sell via their website; and launch
a membership program - all in addition to getting more clients. Do you see how
it all becomes too much?

The solution to these problems is to know exactly where you are
in your business - i.e. at which stage in the business growth process are you.
Because, depending on which business growth stage you're at, will determine
where you need to focus your time. You'll know exactly what to do first, what
to do second, what to do third etc. No more following that bright shiny object!

Having been running my own online solo service business since
November 2001, and working with many clients over the years (from start-up
businesses to multiple six and seven-figure businesses), I have discovered that
there is a very specific 3-step process to running a successful, long-term
business.

I refer to these three steps at the 3 "Ms" to Online
Business Management Success; and let me share that process with you here today:

Step 1: Manage

This is the foundational piece of your business growth and
covers your core office organization systems:

·Filing Management

·Contact Management

·Financial Management

Once you have all these key systems in place you're then ready
for the next step in your business growth.

Step 2: Market

This is where you create visibility so that clients are drawn to
you. You need to let your target market know about your business through
creating a customized and automated online marketing system - and you'll also
want to include some offline marketing activities in this stage too.

Once your business has got to the stage where you are drawing
potential clients into your business daily, and you've reached the bursting
point in working one-on-one with your clients, then you're ready to move into
increasing profits and leveraging your time.

Step 3: Multiple Streams

The third, and final stage, in your business growth is where you
repackage your expertise into various products and programs to leverage your
time and increase profits. You're not ready for this stage until you have the
first two steps all in place. It's no good creating information products if you
don't have anyone to market those products to. So before you rush out and
create products ensure that you have a database of potential clients and
customer who are ready and willing to buy your products.

To create a successful (read: profitable) long-term business you
need to follow a plan. Follow the three steps I've shared with you here and you
will not be tempted to go after the next 'big idea'; instead you'll know
exactly what to focus on, when to focus on it, and what to do next.

(c) 2011 Tracey Lawton

Online Business Development Strategist, Tracey Lawton, teaches
online solo service professionals how to create the essential online marketing
and office organization systems needed so that they can create a more
streamlined, systemized, and automated online business. Check outhttp://www.officeorganizationsuccess.comfor fr.ee how-to articles, resources, tips,
and tools, and sign up for your fr.ee "Office Organization Success
Toolkit".

Success Secret: Breathe Your Way
ToBusiness Growth

A common mistake made by business owners is to over-rely on
action and to fearfully resist business down-time.

As business owners we want to be SO busy that we don't have time
to breathe.

When we face down-time, we worry that we are not doing well
enough, that our business is headed down, down, down.

We business owners tend to believe that our business needs to be
in such high demand that it demands from us a constant go-go-go daily pattern,
and that go-go-go needs to be at a "break-neck" pace.

If we have time for thinking, we're sinking. That's the common
misconception about the pattern of business success.

But in life EVERYTHING goes up and down. Opposite cycles
alternate rhythmically.

The reality is that just as you need to breathe in and out to
stay alive, you need to alternate phases of outward action with inward
reflection for your business to thrive.

Even more importantly, YOU cannot thrive, maybe even not stay
alive, if you don't alternate between going out and going within. A "break
neck" pace has its name for a good reason!

How we interpret what is happening to us largely determines the
impact of what is happening to us.

If you interpret "having time to think" as an
indication of a failing business, you cause your attitude to sink, and when
that happens, your business is sure to follow.

Your time for reflecting-digesting-strategizing is NOT a time
for worry, self-doubt, and defeatism. On the contrary, it may be time for you
to recognize the underlying fears that have been driving you, so that you can
let them go.

Fearful action is unsustainable, counter-productive and
self-destructive. Fear is unhealthy for you.

A short burst of fearful adrenalin can save you from a wild
animal because it can make you run faster or fight harder.

But if the fear is ongoing, you don't need the animal to kill
you - a chronic, high-pitched state of anxiety can give you a heart attack!

The human body is designed for calm, confident action. Calm,
confident action energizes the body in a healthy way. It even promotes healing,
as long as the action is not overly strenuous.

The go-go-go work pattern needs to be replaced with a
go-rest-go-rest rhythm to grow your business as profitably as possible.

You NEED down-time just as much as you need up-time to really
enjoy your success and to be as effective as you can be.

The quieter, more private phases of
reflecting-digesting-strategizing enable you to re-evaluate your objectives and
your ways of reaching for them. They give you time to review and clarify your
priorities to be sure that you are giving most of your attention to what truly
matters the most. They give you time for reflecting upon your experiences to
glean the life and business wisdom lessons they offer.

Reflecting means review and contemplation. Digesting mean
analyzing what has occurred in order to derive meaning and direction from your
experiences. Strategizing means reviewing your plans and considering new and
better ways of achieving your goals.

Your business will probably let you know which phase your are
in. When calls are coming in, when your time is in high demand, when
opportunities open up for you to perform and produce at your highest level, it
is time for action.

When things slow down and you find yourself with time and space
to catch your breath, to think, your business is NOT failing - it is giving you
the signal that it is time for reflective, INWARD action.

If you flip into anxious uncertainty when customers aren't
calling or walking in your door, when your appointment book opens up, you are
turning the inward phase of business-growth into a demoralizing spell of
self-doubt.

You are then missing the point that these inward phases are
essential. If you use them correctly they refresh and empower you for greater
business growth to come.

To be successful in business we need to master both phases of
our business life: the outer AND the inner, the active and the contemplative.

We need to act when it is time to act, and in that phase employ
our skills, knowledge, energy and attitude at our highest capacity.

And we need to avoid worrying when we do NOT have TOO much to do
to catch our breath.

We need instead to exercise the mental mastery to keep our minds
focused on our goals and on developing innovative improvements in our ways of
growing our business for a richer life.

Bob Lancer teaches business owners and sales professionals the
secrets of sure success through his highly motivational seminars and inspiring
speaking engagements. Entrepreneurs and professionals also find their great
breakthroughs through his famous Succeed-Your-Way Coaching/Consulting Sessions.
He also delivers success through his empowering books and CD Recordings, and
through his motivational radio show airing on WSB Radio and broadcasting to 35
states. See his website athttp://www.infinitesuccesswisdom.com.